Abstract: On the surface, “Holy Lands” seems to be simply a collection of poetry
examining the relationship between people and the land. The poems’ subjects all revolve
around family or nature. However, within these poems, two narratives emerge that
deepen the connection between these two agents. The main narrative of this collection is
two-fold: there is the story of my family and our land; and there is the story of First
Snake, the snake from the Garden of Eden. The importance of recording history, and the
acceptance that we change as our reality does, tie these stories together. Both stories
chart the changes in land and the people/creatures who interact with that land.
The collection is divided into two sections reminiscent of the Old and New
Testament. The first section presents the story of the farmland and introduces a family,
much like the Old Testament told the story of a people and their land. The first section
ruminates on the farm and its decline. The second section introduces the voice of First
Snake. First Snake offers the possibility of redemption through understanding the
process of change; we must accept and embrace change, move with it, and not regret its
occurrence.
“Holy Lands” consistently uses Biblical imagery and colloquial language to seat
the poems in a thoroughly southern reality. By using common and regional language, the
poems are able to humbly approach issues of faith, family, and the importance of
interacting with out world.